


Once Upon a Dream

by TheBearMuse



Series: Tahni Lavellan [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3029885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBearMuse/pseuds/TheBearMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tahni Lavellan accidentally falls asleep while studying the Fade.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon a Dream

Tahni Lavellan sat upright with a start. Her head swam with disorientation and a sharp pain emanated from her lower back. She couldn't see in the near-darkness. Her toe bumped against something hard on the floor.

 _Fenedhis!_ She must have fallen asleep after all. How was she ever going to learn how to gain control over her journeys into the Fade if she couldn't finish reading the book Solas had recommended? Tahni didn't like the idea that she could slip through the Veil without realizing it - not that she'd minded finding Solas there last time. She smiled, envisioning the kiss for the thousandth time. Still, wandering around without knowing she was in the Fade was dangerous. Tahni needed to control her new sensitivity.

Unless...wait, had she? Her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting and now she could see everything was tinged in a faint green glow. Yes! She had made it across the Veil again, but this time, she could tell the difference. Excited, Tahni practically flew to her feet. She had to tell Solas.

The slapping sound of her bare feet on the floor echoed off the walls as she hurried as quickly as she dared down the stairs to the main hallway. For once, it was empty. She wasn't surprised - this was the Fade, after all. Deciding to forgo jumping down onto Solas's desk, Tahni made a beeline for the door connecting to his room. It was freeing to knowingly run through Skyhold in the Fade. No one could tell her it was behavior unbecoming the Herald of Andraste. Tahni rolled her eyes at the unwanted shemlen title and defiantly flipped into a mid-air somersault. She landed on her feet, but nearly hit one of the chairs flanking the hall. Exhaling loudly, she slowed her pace. That was a close call. She didn't want to accidentally wake herself up.

Tahni snuck into the rounded chamber Solas had claimed for his own. A grin spread across her face when she saw him. Of course he was here. He was putting the finishing touches on the last mural, the one depicting the attack on Haven. _So that's his secret! He plots everything out in the Fade first, then does it again in the waking world._ The sheer brilliance of it all sent a thrill through her.

Solas started to turn around. Whether he'd heard her or was simply going to get more paint from his desk didn't matter. If Tahni was going to surprise him for maximum impact, it had to be now. In a single fluid movement, she dashed across the room and threw her arms around the unsuspecting elf. She felt the wind go out of him as he tried to keep his footing.

 _No!_ Too late, Tahni noticed Solas was stumbling toward the wall. She tried to pull him forward, but not quickly enough. He fell back directly against the fresh paint. Though Solas instinctively moved away, the damage had been done. The fires that had consumed Haven now covered his back instead. Tahni's heart dropped into her stomach. This was absolutely the last thing she had intended.

"I'm so sorry!" Tahni blurted out as a wave of confusion crossed Solas's face. "I was just too excited to tell you that I DID IT! I made it into the Fade. On purpose this time!" She squeezed Solas tighter, pointedly ignoring his wolf jawbone pressing painfully against her ribs. "At least the real mural didn't get ruined, right? It'll be back to normal the next time you dream."

Solas laughed, startling Tahni into a stunned silence. "This is not the Fade, lethallan."

Her jaw dropped open. "But...my room was green. How..."

His eyes danced with amusement, but not at her expense. "Did you not find the veilfire I left for you? You looked cold and I did not want to risk waking you by covering you with a blanket."

Icy dread clutched at her heart. _Oh no._ That's right. Solas HAD been reading with her before she fell asleep. And that meant she'd ruined the actual mural. Tahni suddenly became painfully aware that he was watching her think, seeing her figure out what had happened. Tahni started to apologize for ruining everything, but Solas stopped her with a finger pressed against her lips.

"It can be repaired," he assured her. "There was no permanent damage."

The tension started going out of her shoulders. "But your shirt..."

Solas chuckled softly. "Can be washed." With a grin, he flicked his paintbrush across her nose. Tahni shrieked at the cold streak of paint it left behind. "As can your nose." Solas caught her wrist as Tahni raised her hand to wipe the paint away. His grip was firm but gentle, more of a question than a statement. An image of how they closed the first rift flashed through her mind. This was starting to become a habit. A warm glow settled comfortably in her chest. "Later," Solas murmured, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Much later," Tahni agreed as she rubbed her nose against his, making sure the paint smeared.


End file.
